In today’s installment of Closet Confessionals, we meet a retiree who began collecting bags later in life. Over a 15-year period, CC 170 has acquired an amazing collection of bags worth over $100K. Her collection includes pieces from Louis Vuitton, Dior, YSL, Chanel, and more! Her collection is a unique curation of both vintage and new pieces, and she states that right now, she’s favoring Dior bags, both new and old!
Lately, this collector has found that she’s not very excited by new bags and believes her next bag buy will definitely be vintage. CC 170’s attitude towards bags is wonderful, and she truly believes in buying what you love, what you can afford, and carrying them unapologetically. Her most special piece is a rare Chanel Python bag, and trust us when we say it truly is a stunner!
Read the full CC and check out photos from CC 170’s collection below!
[sc_cc_callout]The Basics
Age: 65
Gender Identity: Female
Location: Anything else you would like to include
Occupation: Get In Touch
Industry: Culinary
Salary: $0.00
Household Income: $190,000
The Bags
Shallow Obsessing Strongly Encouraged. Since 2005 PurseForum member? No
Get In Touch? 60+
Any other expensive hobbies or passions?
- Louis Vuitton (mostly vintage because they are better quality than today’s bags) – maybe 20ish bags
- Chanel – 5 bags
- Gucci (both vintage and current designs), maybe 15-18 bags
- Christian Dior (both vintage and current designs) – right now, they’re my favorite designer 12-13 bags
- YSL 12-15
- Polène 2 bags
- Ferragamo 2 bags
- Bicchi 1 bag
- Pierangelo Masciadri – 5 bags
No Hermès – they’re just not my style, and I’ve never had the desire to own one.
Whats Going On at The RealReal? $100,000+
What is your most expensive bag? 2015-16 Read the full CC and check out photos from CC 170s collection below.
What are the most important brands or pieces in your collection? The most important piece, at least to me, is a vintage multi-color python Chanel with, a small top handle. I’ve never seen one like it before, and everyone who sees it is stunned.
What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? I was a late bloomer and didn’t get my first designer bag until I was 50. It is a two-tone, pebbled calfskin hobo by Bicchi (a very small designer in Florence, Italy).
Is there a specific bag you are looking to purchase next? Not really. I’m not impressed with much of the current designs, so my next bag will most likely be from my favorite designer consignment store. And, probably, it will be at least 8-10 years old.
Get In Touch? I’m very sentimental about my Bicchi bag. We were in Florence, Italy, for my 50th birthday, and while I wanted a bag, I didn’t want one from the leather market. We found a little store with a shop in the back that produces a very small line of bags, and I fell in love with the hobo. It was my first bag, and we spent 160€ on it, which was a fortune for us at the time.
Do you feel like your bags change people’s perceptions of you or how you’re treated? Probably not, but truthfully I really don’t care. My friends are either “bag ladies,” or they’re not. Regardless they all know I have a weakness for designer bags. And when we’re out in public or shopping, either someone knows the designer of my bag or not. If, by chance, I notice that I was being treated better than someone else without a designer bag, I’d call the sales associate on it.
CC 219: The Trader? Definitely. Before Covid I babied my bags, rarely used some, and got into the habit of using the same 5-6 bags all of the time. Now I change my bag every couple of days and carry almost everything anywhere. When we travel, I just make sure I have the dust bag so I can put my bag in it before I put it on the floor on the plane.
The Shopping
How much is your collection worth? There’s definitely no set schedule, and I don’t follow the seasonal drops. Sometimes I’ll go a few months without buying a bag; other times, I’ll buy 3 at a time.
Has the Coronavirus pandemic changed your shopping habits or overall attitude towards luxury? I didn’t purchase any bags during the pandemic lockdown because I want to see and feel the bag before I purchase it. There are only a couple of resellers that I trust enough that if they say the bag is “pristine” or “flawless,” that I believe them.
While I do not flaunt my collection either online or in person, I am not ashamed of it, nor will I not carry designer because others can’t afford one.
My other very close SA is at YSL. Again we text just to talk, and trade photos, and jokes? I have long-term sales associate relationships at Dior, YSL, Gucci, and my favorite designer consignment store. Those are my top stores. I do not purchase from chain stores – not because I am a snob but because I travel so much that I’m never too far from any designer store.
The Many Bags Of? Definitely! I love vintage bags and have a select group of resellers that I trust implicitly.
Do you ever feel societal pressure to purchase more bags? While I’ve sold bags, it’s because I’m tired of it, don’t carry it or it’s too small/large.
I do not sell to online stores like Poshmark, Fashionphile, or The Real Real. I sell to trusted brand resellers.
Do you ever feel societal pressure to purchase more bags? No.
Jackie Small Shoulder Bag? Absolutely.
Get In Touch? My husband is the only person who might influence a buying decision. He has excellent taste, and I trust his judgment 100%.
At my advanced age, I don’t follow influencers or celebrities. My closest bag lady friend and I trade thoughts about certain bags that one of us is thinking of purchasing.
Are sales associate relationships instrumental to your shopping? Absolutely. I’m extremely close with my Dior SA. She sends photos of her family when they’re on vacation, I’ve taken her and her husband to dinner before, and we text just to talk.
CC 219: The Trader.
Why do you enjoy shopping, beyond just acquiring something new? I don’t go shopping just to go shopping. My SAs will send photos of things I may like and if I want to shop, I’ll make an appointment.
Have you ever felt like you received inferior service at a store or boutique due to your appearance, ethnicity or gender? Only once. Years ago, at a newly opened Louis Vuitton store I was treated very rudely by an SA. The store was new in the city and they were very busy when I arrived. She was abrupt and after I tried on a couple of bags she informed me that she didn’t have time to waste on looky-loos. So I left, ordered several pieces online, had them delivered to the store and made sure she knew that she didn’t get the commission.
I’ve matured since then. Now if I’m in a store where I don’t have a trusted SA and I believe someone is not giving the best service, I’ll ask for a different SA.
The Money
Do you consider your bag purchases investments? I do.
Bags In The Wild? No. I probably should, but I don’t have a budget. I don’t hurry to purchase something just because the prices are going up next week. I need to think about a bag, where it fits into my collection and wardrobe, and then make a decision if I want it or not.
The Taboo Topics
Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? Just once. I purchased a counterfeit, not because I couldn’t afford it but because I wasn’t sure that I wanted the actual bag. I eventually purchased the designer bag and gave the counterfeit away, making sure the recipient knew it was not authentic.
Do you ever hide purchases from your significant other? No.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to afford a bag? I wish I had a crazy story but I don’t.
Do you think your shopping is ever a problem? Have you ever felt like you were struggling with a shopping addiction? No.
The Rest Of It
Who influences your buying decisions? We travel. A lot. I’m gone at least 1 week every month.
We don’t care about expensive cars; we’ve lived in the same house for 30+ years; I don’t wear designer RTW, and other than a couple of very special pieces, big expensive jewelry doesn’t do anything for me.
Anything else you would like to include? My husband and I have worked very hard our entire lives, often times when we were younger, we weren’t sure if we could make the house payment. The last thing I thought about was designer bags. If you don’t have the money or have to hide the purchase, making that purchase probably isn’t worth it.
